Treating Mummy Nice
by Lady Of Embers
Summary: An expedition by Red and Blue winds up with Ben going to fetch them. And Red wants the General to know something...


"Red! Blue!"

Worried shouts reverberated around Bowerstone Castle.

And again "Red! Blue!"

Luna's sons had vanished.

Reaver turned the corner and found himself flung into a wall.

"Reaver! Where are my sons? I swear, if you've touched them…" Reaver's usual cocky arrogance had deserted him as he gaped and floundered like a fish.

"I…they…wasn't…wha?" Luna abruptly let go of him, stalking off furiously.

"NEVERMIND!" She roared, determinedly pacing around the castle.

* * *

><p>Ben Finn was planning the next training exercise for the Finn Brigade when Luna flung open the door to the room and walked in extremely quickly.<p>

"General Finn, take a few soldiers, get your arse out on the street and find Red and Blue, clear?" she hissed. Ben was silent for a few moments.

"Have you tried the catacombs?" he finally asked.

"Yes," came the cross reply.

"Okay," he told her calmly, "they can't have gone far. You stay here and keep pounding Reaver into the wall. I'll gladly let you do that. I'll send out a message and start looking."

Her shoulders slumped. "You have to get them back, Ben, they're the last thing I have of…" she trailed off, but Ben knew what she meant.

_The last thing I have of Elliot_.

* * *

><p>"Have you seen the two princes?" Ben asked an old woman. She shook her head.<p>

"Hope the queen finds 'em soon, though," she added.

"Thankyou," Ben said, giving her a warm smile. She turned away, blushing.

"Have you seen the two princes?"

"Have you seen the two princes?"

"Have you seen the two princes?"

"Hey! You! Mista!"

At the same time as a small voice began calling at him, Ben felt his left leg growing heavy. He looked down to see a mud-smeared blonde urchin staring back at him with big green eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked her. She nodded energetically.

"Actually I can help you!" she piped cutely. "I seen the two princes a little while 'go. They was headin' thattaway," she told him, pointing down the road.

"Towards the market?" he asked, and she nodded again.

"Yeah! They were laughin' an' playin'."

Ben smiled at her. "Thankyou, erm…"

"Kelsey," the street urchin replied, beaming.

Ben reached up into a nearby flower basket and picked a blue carnation.

"Thankyou, Kelsey," he told her gently. "Boys!" he called, and the guards following him straightened up. "We've got a lead!" then he turned back to Kelsey. "Miss," he addressed her, sweeping into a light bow. She giggled. They turned and trudged down the road towards the market.

* * *

><p>It was dusk when they reached the market.<p>

"Split up and search for them. Two little boys alone means that anyone could have easily sensed a weakness and tried to kidnap them," Ben ordered, and made his way over the bridge.

Ben's sensitive ear caught the sound of whimpering, and, looking around, he spotted the two boys in a corner by the gift shop. Two thugs were cornering them. He signalled to two guards and they left their posts to follow him. Drawing his rifle, he motioned for them to do the same and pressed the barrel against the back of the first thug.

"I suggest you step _away_ from the princes," he suggested coldly, "unless you _want _to either rot in a cell or have me put a bullet through your back." The thugs turned to see three soldiers pointing loaded weapons at them and looking very cross indeed.

The first one swore and legged it. The other gave off an equally obscene word and bolted in the same direction.

"You can chase 'em, if you want," Ben suggested to the guards, who had been looking forlornly at the fleeing criminals. They grinned at him and shot after the two. Ben knelt down beside the two princes.

Blue was rubbing his eyes, his clothes were covered in mud and scratches, and he looked happy to see Ben. Red, on the other hand, was nearly asleep, but looking very cross indeed.

"Why you?" was all he said. Ben ignored this.

"Come on you too," he said, and then whispered something in Blue's ear. Blue giggled, nodding and pleased. The next thing Red knew, Blue was being hoisted onto Ben's back and he was being told to follow like a dog.

"Not gonna," Red said stubbornly.

"Are you tired, Red?" Ben asked, head tilting to one side. Red nodded. Then he burst into tears.

"I wanna go to bed!" he wailed. Ben laughed.

"Blue, is it alright if Red has a piggyback instead?" he asked. Blue nodded chirpily and Ben set him down, kneeling, and Red reluctantly climbed on his back.

Ben Finn was warm and soft and strong, and not cold and hard, like Red had thought. In fact, he was _very_ soft...Red felt himself beginning to doze, when he heard Blue talking.

"S'it true that you like mummy?" his brother piped. Red felt Ben nod.

"Yes, I do like your mother. She's a good friend of mine."

"Do you like mummy like daddy liked mummy?" Blue asked. Ben laughed.

"That I do, little prince," he replied.

"Oh." Blue was silent. "Mummy says she wishes you'd treat her nicer sometimes," he suddenly burst out. Ben almost stopped.

"Treat her…nicer?" he asked, confused.

"Yus," Blue replied solemnly. "She says you keep grabbing her and she doesn't like it. And mummy told me that when people don't like something, you have to stop." This had Ben silent.

Sure, he'd _grabbed_ at her a few times, but that was because she looked so damn good that he couldn't _help_ himself. Did it really make her feel so uncomfortable? Now that Elliot had died, Luna was alone, and Reaver kept trying to bed her. Two people attempting to do the same thing can't have been good for her. As he shouldered Red again (the boy had begun to slip,) Red whispered something to Ben.

"What did you say?" Ben asked, because it really had been a _very_ quiet whisper.

"I said 'treat mummy nice.' I don't like seeing mummy upset. Grownups aren't supposed to cry." Ben laughed at the last remark.

"Lots of grownups cry. Everyone cries, no matter what their age. But all right. I'll be nicer to your mother."

So saying, Ben, Blue and Red made their way back to the castle.


End file.
